A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1937 (DOST Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1399-1674
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Cok, n.1 Also: kok, cock, kock, coik, coke, koke. [ME. cocke, cokke, cok, OE. coc (kok); also F. coq.]
1. A cock (the domestic fowl). a1400 Legends of the Saints i. 58.
Ilkane nycht as day cane daw, As he mycht heyre the cok craw c1420 Wynt. viii. 6367.
A gret pestilens … Fell on kokis [C. kokkis] and hennys bath c1450-2 Howlat 202.
The cok in his cleir cape, that crawis and cryis, Was chosyn chauntour 1470 Prestwick B. Rec. 15.
That novdir ane no other man no weman, … hald cokkis na capounis at mvltitud 1473 Reg. Cupar A. I. 176.
Payand tharof ȝerly … iiijxii and viij kok or hen a1500 Henr. Fab. 64.
Ane cok … with feddrame fresche and gay a1500 Ib. 459.
With that the cok, vpon his tais hie, Kest vp his beik c1500 Fyve Bestes 159.
This bird wox a cok, … The cruellest of all the cokis of Kent a1500 Buke of the Sevyne Sagis 1009.
Nichtly befor the cokis can crawe c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 326.
I crew abone that craudone, as cok that wer wictour 1506 Treasurer's Accounts III. 202.
For ane quhit hen and ane cok to the Kingis schip 1535 Stewart 36542.
It hes bene said, … The ȝoung cok leiris as the ald cok craw 1549 Complaynte of Scotland 39/8.
The suyne began to quhryne … quhilk gart the hennis kekkyl quhen the cokis creu 1547 Reg. Cupar A. II. 60.
Thay paying … ane dusane of kok and hen sufficient for thair pultre a1500 Henr. Fab. 2320 (Ch).
I compt not all the laif, leif me the coik a1570-86 Maitland Folio MS xcv. 39.
Baythe hen and cok … The lairdis Jok all with him takis 1596 Dalr. I. 39/18.
Is lykwyse in thir cuntreyes anothir foul, … men cal her ‘the cok that bigis in places hard and difficle to cum vpe to’ [L. gallum tesquorum]attrib. 1596 Ib. II. 125/30.
Sum cok and capoune fethiris
b. transf. Kock (= supreme or leading person) off the north. 1666-74 Fraser Polichron. 133.
[The] Earle of Huntly is highly incensed … that any should be employed but himselfe … being kock off the north
2. Cock-crow. c1500 Fyve Bestes 207.
At the first cok walkinnit sall ye be 1517 Selkirk B. Ct. fol. 56 b.
Tua men [to] walk … quhill the kokis of nycht crawin at lauchful tym 1560 Rolland Seven Sages 243/9.
Than come he on as had bene the first cok
3. A weather-cock. 1565–6 Edinb. Old Acc. II. 237.
For doun taking of the auld cok 1565–6 Ib. 239.
The expenses maid upoun the cok of the stepill 1569-73 Bann. Memor. 122.
Whare was slane ane captane … called Kirkcaldie, wha befoir had danced vp at the cocke of the stiple 1594 Edinb. D. Guild Acc. 529.
For ane sklaitter seruand that past to the cok on the hicht of the stepill and oild the samin to mak it glaid 1604 Ib. 798.
For mending the coik and globe of the stepell 1627 Glasgow B. Rec. I. 361.
For bras and copper to be the kok and thanes to the Tolbuithe 1627 Ib. 362.
For gilting the cok and thanes 1631–2 Ib. II. 503.
For gilting of the glob, kok and thanis in the Trongait stiple 1665 Ib. III. 63.
For the new cock put upon the heigh steiple
4. A tap or spigot. 1575 Edinburgh Testaments III. 384.
Sex gros of cokkis of barrellis 1576 Ib. IV. 154 b.
Certane trene cokis 1576 Ib. 155.
Tua dosane hingand cokis 1586 Ib. XV. 65 b.
Ane greit buist with cokis of barrellis and elsing heftis 1597 Bk. Rates 3 b.
Cokis for barrellis the gros 1650 Aberd. Univ. Rec. 592.
5 cokes to barrels 1668 Rothesay B. Rec. 150.
2 chopein koks, a milk kok
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"Cok n.1". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 19 Apr 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/cok_n_1>